Today Was A Good Day

From the moment I woke up, I have been in unusually good spirits.  Slow traffic did nothing to dampen my mood.  I made significant progress on projects at work, to include preparing for a "battle" that is likely to be won. Had a great run and made a tasty dinner...turkey breast, spicy kale, and garlic and thyme butternut squash. Thumbs up on dinner from my daughter, which is always nice.

I mentioned in a previous post that running was going to make me hungry, and in order to make my life easier, I was going to have to find some portable snacks that fit with my clean eating philosophy.  Well, I did.  I don't normally shop at Safeway, but was in there looking for lamb when I discovered Safeway Selects Trail Mix.  Score!  They don't all work for me, but the two that did Ginger Zinger (almonds, hazelnuts, dried blueberries, dried cranberries, walnuts, dried cherries, ginger, sea salt and sugar) and Autumn Orchard Delight (almonds, dried cranberries, pistachios, raisins, dried cherries and sea salt) are fantastic!

Image Source:  Fooducate.com

The Zinger version is 140 cals per 1/4 cup.  The Autumn Orchard is 130 cals per 1/4 cup. Believe it or not, because they are so full of vitamins, good fat and fiber, that little bit easily tides me over until lunch.  Plus they both have just enough sweetness to be a great after meal snack.

Throw a small banana in there for a second high potassium and yummy snack and there is no need for candy bars or donuts or anything else being pushed by friendly co-workers. Looks like I'll be good to go for a while.

Half Marathon Training Progress Report -

• .25 mile walk
• 3 mile run
• .25 mile walk

Total Distance - 3.5 miles

Total Time - 39'20"

Please Have Nice Weather, Please Have Nice Weather

Ran minimalist style today.  Tomorrow's run is 3 miles...but soooo nervous about my long run on Saturday!

It's my first 4 mile run and I really, really, REALLY want to do it at Burke Lake, because that's another of my Half training milestones.  With a quarter mile warm up and cool down, that distance should be exactly one circuit around the lake.  I have my new Garmin Forerunner 110 GPS watch to test out...AND my guy will be running with me to keep me motivated.  I'm so excited I can barely stand it!

Yes, that's really what it looks like on a beautiful day...thanks so much to MySoCalledKnife.com for this picture.  There's a couple more on his blog, if you click on the link.

On a different note, yesterday was the first day I've really dealt with calf soreness since I started this training plan.  Monday's run was only 2 miles, none of it barefoot style, so not sure what's going on there.  Maybe it's just the steady increase in weekly mileage.

I'm still doing my Doc recommended calf and Achilles tendon stretches.  Well...most mornings, but this today's stiffness convinced me to put off my run until after work.  Easy run, my legs feel fine as I'm writing this, but will definitely be stretching tomorrow!

Barefoot Progress Report -

• .25 mile walk
• 1 mile run (10'00" pace)
• .25 mile walk

Total Distance - 1.5 miles

Total Time - 19'20"

Early Morning Running

Living in a major metropolitan area means getting up ridiculously early to commute for some.  I have steadfastly refused to get out of bed before 5 a.m. for the entire five years that I've lived here.  Whether I've taken the metro, commuter train or my own car to work...have not gotten up before 5 a.m., because that is just uncivilized.

That is, until I started this running program a couple of months ago.  Today, for example, I was out of bed at 4:45...got up at 4:30 one day last week.  It's OK, call me a masochist.  I won't argue, but I will say that I've been getting the same hours of sleep on average (about six) and I've always been a good sleeper (is that a thing?), but getting up that early hasn't been a struggle...honest!

Image Source:  Athletic Feat newsletter

There are only two factors that could account for this.  1) New relationship energy...it's been a few months, but it's still all butterflies and sunshine and roses (I'm pretty lucky) and/or     2) My body has decided to enjoy running.  For that I can only be thankful, because this whole journey would be excruciatingly painful otherwise.  Yup, look forward to my morning runs, feel good during them (so far) and feel great having started my day that way.  It's not every day, but for now...totally worth it.

Half Marathon Training Progress Report -

• .25 mile walk
• 2 mile run (10'00)
• .25 mile walk

Total Distance - 2.5 miles

Total Time - 29'16"

Moving Right Along

That is how training is going, progress made in both traditional and barefoot running this week.  But let's talk about more important things.  For me, "moving right along" immediately brings to mind the old Muppet Movie song.  The very unofficial version courtesy of YouTube...

As Kermit the Frog says in the song..."getting there is half the fun..."  That's how training has been so far, fun and every mile brings me closer to the Half in May.

I have been remiss in posting my runs, so will do that while I leave you with the song above and dare you not to sing along...it will stick in your head for days, guaranteed.

Half Marathon Training Progress Report (From Monday) - 

• .25 mile walk
• 2 mile run (10'00")
• .25 mile walk

Total Distance - 2.5 miles

Total Time - 29'11"

Barefoot Progress Report (From Tuesday) - 

• .25 mile walk
• 1 mile run (A new milestone!! 10'00")
• .25 mile walk

Total Distance - 1.5 miles

Total Time - 19'18"

Half Marathon Training Progress Report (From Thursday) -

• .25 mile walk
• 3 mile run (10'00")
• .25 mile walk

Total Distance - 3.5 miles

Total Time - 39'17"

Half Marathon Training Progress Report (From Saturday) - 

• .25 mile walk
• 3.5 mile run (10'00")
• .75 mile barefoot run
• .25 mile walk

Total Distance - 4 miles

Total Time - 44'16"

Milestones

It's early and it's already a busy day.  But not too busy to hit my first (self-designated) milestone in my Half training plan.  Today I ran 3 miles!

Image Source:  Aaroncahoon.com

THREE miles!  Trois, tres, tree, drei, san...that's as many languages as I can think of at the moment.  3 miles is double the distance of my last fitness test in November.  A whopping 100% increase in just one month of training!

Yes, I'm making a bit of a fuss...3 miles may not seem significant compared to the 13.1 miles I'll be running in the May, but it is, and here is why.  13.1 is a huge increase over the 1.5 miles I have been walk/running since my injury last summer.  Almost too daunting to wrap my brain around.  On the other hand, 3 miles is something I've done before, so I can wrap my brain around that...as an interim goal.  A goal I just achieved, thank you very much!

That is so motivating...I feel like I'm chipping away at the Half marathon both physically and mentally, which gives me the feeling that I really can do it.  It's one thing to say you're going to run a race, and quite another thing to do it.

Image Source:  Tumblr.com

My next milestone is the 4-miler in March.  After that it will be the first 4.5 mile run around Burke Lake (being outdoors on variable terrain is definitely a game changer).  After that hitting 10K (6.2 miles) and after that it's reaching 10 miles.  Once I hit the 10 mile mark I know I will be able to complete the Half, because by then "another" 3 miles will seem like a walk in the park....I hope!

Half Marathon Training Progress -

• .25 mile walk
• 3 mile run (10'00")
• .25 mile walk

Total Distance - 3.5 miles

Total Time - 39'17"

Happy Valentine's Day!

Today was a Run Day, so I did.  I tried this on Sunday and have now decided to work my barefoot running into my regular running days.  There is no longer any doubt (in my mind) that different muscle groups are engaged.  My shins started getting tight during my run today, so I switched to a forefoot strike and could immediately tell the difference.  My shins and quads relaxed and I could feel the heat in my calves move higher.

Not wanting to overdo my calves and arches, I ran my normal Barefoot Conditioning distance of .75 mile and switched back to a regular stride for the rest of today's run.  I do remember reading somewhere that changing your gait is a strategy for longer races, which makes sense.  Giving your muscles a break, without walking, helps to maintain the pace and keeps the momentum going!

Image Source:  My Dirt Road Anthem blog

I also signed up for a race next month...my first one in years.  It's a 4-miler that just happens to coincide (mostly) with my training plan.  Very excited, because this will be my first gauge of the effectiveness, or not, of my training plan.  And even more excited that my Valentine will be running the race too!

Half Marathon Progress Report (From Monday) -

• .25 mile walk
• 2 mile run (10'00" pace)
• .25 mile walk

Total Distance - 2.5 miles

Total Time - 29'18"

Half Marathon Progress Report (Today) -

• .25 mile walk
• 2.5 mile run (10'00" pace)
• .75 mile barefoot run
• .25 mile walk

Total Distance - 3 miles

Total Time - 34'14"

New Shoes!

After some research on the magical Internet, I decided to go with these Saucony Kinvaras for the Half.

Image Source:  Eastbay website

Billed as a neutral, light weight running shoe with a 4mm heel to toe drop (i.e., not an over the top padded shoe and not intended to "correct" gait problems).  The Kinvaras are designed for people interested in a minimalist shoe, but not really ready to commit.  They have more padding than my Brooks PureConnects, but not as much as the Nikes I had been running in for the previous decade.

There is some reviewer criticism for not being able to put a ton of miles on them - 300-500 miles is the general expectation.  Looking at my training schedule I only anticipate running about 200 miles in them including race day, so hopefully that won't be an issue.

For now, the Kinvaras feel light, have plenty of room in the toe box, and allow me to transition between a heel and forefoot strike with ease, which I did on today's run.  I could live without the Miami Dolphin color scheme, but my only other option was Pepto Bismol Pink...sigh...

Half Marathon Training Progress Report (From Thurs) -

• .25 mile walk
• 1.5 mile run (10'00" pace)
• .25 mile walk

Total Distance - 2 miles

Total Time - 24'17"

Half Marathon Training Progress Report (Today) -

• .25 mile walk
• 2.5 mile run (10'00" pace)
• .75 mile was done with a forefoot strike
• .25 mile walk

Total Distance - 3 miles

Total Time - 34'15"

Train Like You Fight Note:  I ate my Race Day breakfast of granola, almond milk and chicken sausage about an hour before I ran.  Not a good idea...not sick, but just didn't feel right.

Sequestration Requires the Intervention of We The People

Nothing to do with running, I know, but clearly a more important issue than my Half marathon prep.

Just the threat of sequestration has already cost thousands of private sector jobs.  Yes, PRIVATE sector...government contractors are employed by private companies:  Boeing and SAIC and General Dynamics, plus thousands of small businesses around the country.  If you don't think loss of private sector jobs impacts everyone, you are very wrong.

No matter how you feel about the government and politics, or where you personally place the blame, only Congress can fix this.  As the law stands right now, of the required $1.2 TRILLION in cuts over nine years, There are some assumed savings in the law, but it boils down to about $109 BILLION being cut every fiscal year.  Unfortunately, there are only seven months left in Fiscal Year 2013 when sequestration hits (March 1st - September 30th).  Half of these cuts will come from Defense, the rest will come from domestic spending (excluding Soc Security and some parts of Medicare).  That impacts welfare, housing assistance, health care programs, some student financial aid programs.  That means furloughs for government workers and more private sector people out of jobs.

Image Source: National Association of State Budget Offices blog

The law does not allow much room for discretion within the federal agencies because the projected cuts are so draconian.  It's like amputating both legs to cure a fungal toe this year...and forgetting to stitch up the wounds for the next eight years.  I know that's gross, but it's that bad.

Remember sequestration was designed to be so ridiculously repugnant to both Democrats and Republicans that it would force the two parties to work together to reduce the defict.  Well...they failed.

Preventing sequestration from occurring will take cooperation and compromise.  We cannot afford for Congress to stand on ideology and allow our still fragile economy to completely tank.

Please write your congressmen to tell them you are holding them responsible for that failure.  If you let Congress know that you care, they will work harder on this issue.  They want to be re-elected after all.  

It only takes five minutes to fill out a few online forms and that simple act could make a huge difference in motivating our legislators.  If you don't know who your senators and representatives are, you can find them at ContactingTheCongress.org.  Tell your friends...

For a more reputable source of info on this topic, you can read this 2012 article from the Washington Post.

Half Marathon Training Progress Report (From Monday) - 

• .25 mile walk
• 1.5 mile run (10'00" pace)
• .25 mile walk

Total Distance - 2 miles

Total Time - 24'18"

Barefoot Progress Report (Today) -

• .25 mile walk
• .75 mile run (10'00" pace)
• .5 mile walk

Total Distance - 1.5 miles

Total Time - 21'03"

Train Like You Fight

Or in this case, train like you plan to run.  Traditionally, I am a empty stomach, morning runner.  If I run later, it is long after lunch or dinner, so my stomach at least feels empty.  The Half marathon starts at 7 a.m. and it is ridiculous to think that an empty stomach is the way to go for a race of that distance.

So this morning I ate breakfast before my run...gluten free granola, heated with almond milk, all natural chicken and apple sausage and some water.  It's not Paleo, but fits my gluten-free, clean eating philosophy.  I waited about two hours, because I think that is how it will be on race day and hit the treadmill for my first "long" run of 2 miles.  I briefly considered running outdoors, until I saw that it was 14-degrees out.  Not gonna happen.

My run was great!  Remember - running has always been a part of my life, but I haven't run longer than 3.1 miles in a decade, and haven't run longer than 1.5 miles for the last 3 years or so.  No issue at all with having food on my stomach, which is a huge relief. Running long distances is about endurance and managing your energy resources...food is energy.  I may add in a banana about 30 mins before my long runs (based on some of the Half training sites I've been visiting), but other than that the Race Day breakfast is set. What about energy resupply during the race?  Some say it's not needed for a Half, others recommend gels, which sounds gross...more to come on that later.

Image Source: Roommate Running Adventures blog

Next step - Running shoes.  Have to decide soon, because my Nike MaxMotos are old and not light enough for the distance I'll be running.  My Brooks are too minimalist for this race, so I will check out the Saucony Kinvara line, hopefully this weekend to have plenty of time to break them in.

Half Marathon Training Progress Report (From Thurs) -

• .25 mile walk
• 1.5 mile run (10'00" pace)
• .25 mile walk

Total Distance - 2 miles

Total Time - 24'20"

Half Marathon Training Progress Report (Today) -

• .25 mile walk
• 2 mile run (10'00" pace)
• .25 mile walk

Total Distance - 2.5 miles
Total Time - 29'19"